Culture and Communities Committee – 10 July 2019 Culture and Communities Committee 10.00am, Tuesday 10 September 2019 Latest News Committee Remit – New Areas – Welcome Following a review of political management arrangements, as from 5 August 2019 the Convener and Vice Convener are delighted to extend a very warm welcome to Parks and Green Space, Community Centres and Libraries, which are now part of the remit of the Culture and Communities Committee. The members of the Committee are looking forward to working closely with officers in these areas to build on the substantial achievements to date and carry this forward into the future. We are in the process of organising visits across the city so that officers in these fields can get to know the Committee to which they report and also increase awareness and understanding among Committee members of the activity and aspirations in these areas. St Andrews Fair Saturday Fair Saturday is a global cultural movement which aims to generate social change through art and culture. The City of Edinburgh has participated in Fair Saturday since 2017 and continues to strengthen its links with the organisation. The Vice Convener of Culture and Communities Committee attended the Fair Saturday Awards in Bilbao in June and held a meeting with representatives of the Foundation in Edinburgh in August to explore further collaboration. Funding has been identified from the Citywide Community Festivals and Events programme to support St Andrews Fair Saturday in Edinburgh and planning for this activity is currently ongoing. A further report on Edinburgh’s engagement and support for St Andrews Fair Saturday will be submitted to the Culture and Communities Committee in November with more detail.
Transcript
Culture and Communities Committee – 10 July 2019
Culture and Communities Committee 10.00am, Tuesday 10 September 2019
Latest News
Committee Remit – New Areas – Welcome
Following a review of political management arrangements, as from 5 August 2019 the Convener and Vice Convener are delighted to extend a very warm welcome to Parks and Green Space, Community Centres and Libraries, which are now part of the remit of the Culture and Communities Committee. The members of the Committee are looking forward to working closely with officers in these areas to build on the substantial achievements to date and carry this forward into the future. We are in the process of organising visits across the city so that officers in these fields can get to know the Committee to which they report and also increase awareness and understanding among Committee members of the activity and aspirations in these areas.
St Andrews Fair Saturday
Fair Saturday is a global cultural movement which aims to generate social change through art and culture. The City of Edinburgh has participated in Fair Saturday since 2017 and continues to strengthen its links with the organisation. The Vice Convener of Culture and Communities Committee attended the Fair Saturday Awards in Bilbao in June and held a meeting with representatives of the Foundation in Edinburgh in August to explore further collaboration. Funding has been identified from the Citywide Community Festivals and Events programme to support St Andrews Fair Saturday in Edinburgh and planning for this activity is currently ongoing. A further report on Edinburgh’s engagement and support for St Andrews Fair Saturday will be submitted to the Culture and Communities Committee in November with more detail.
New Edinburgh Printmakers New Home Opens to the Public
On Saturday 27 April Edinburgh Printmakers opened their new £11million home at Castle Mills to the public.
Britain’s oldest open access print studio is set to double in size following the rescue and transformation of the former North British Rubber Factory building in Fountainbridge. To meet the growing demand for printmaking facilities and the growth of Edinburgh’s creative industries, the new 2194m2 space houses an enhanced open access print studio, traditional and digital processes, a dedicated learning space, artist accommodation, art galleries, a shop, café and print archive.
One of the hotspots in Edinburgh’s industrial heritage, the North British Rubber Factory employed over 8000 people at its peak producing the first welly boot, tyres, golf balls, hot water bottles and a huge range of products. As an industrial space rubber production ceased in 1969 and following use by Scottish and Newcastle Brewery has lain empty and under threat since 2004. The transformation and restoration of the Grade C listed building by award-winning Scottish architects Page \ Park has been a painstaking, considered process enhancing the space for public use for the first time in its 160 year history while remaining faithful to its unique heritage. The result is a new kind of production hub as the city’s arts community is set to benefit from not just from printmaking facilities but a range of other production resources and a concentration of creative talent.
The Council has supported this project from the initial stages of identifying and providing the land and building, to assisting Edinburgh Printmakers secure funding from the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund to bring socio- economic and cultural opportunities to support regeneration of the area. To find out more about the project including current exhibitions, classes, residencies, shop and café visit www.edinburghprintmakers.co.uk
The People’s Story at 30 – The Making of the Museum
14 July 2019 marked the 30th anniversary of the opening of the People’s Story Museum. Situated in the Canongate Tolbooth, the People’s Story was amongst the forerunners of social history museums in the UK and sought to explore the everyday lives of Edinburgh’s people. Whilst today museums use people’s memories and experiences to help tell stories and to give context to displays, the People’s Story was the first of its kind to base its displays and interpretation entirely on the lives and experiences of real people. The museum challenged the traditional approach to history and sought to redress the balance of representation between the ordinary people and the great and the good. The People’s Story aimed to be a museum for the people, by the people and at the time was considered to be a ground-breaking new museum. To mark the 30th anniversary milestone, a new temporary exhibition “The People’s Story at 30”, looks at how and why the museum was formed and invites visitors to contemplate what has changed in the city since this time and to consider what place the museum has in today’s world and to share their views on what the future of the museum might look like.
Museums and Galleries Edinburgh - Volunteers Celebrations
Each year Museums and Galleries Edinburgh celebrates the tireless work of our volunteers with a “thank you” event. This year the event, which took place on 25 July at the Museum of Edinburgh, was a double celebration which also marked the 30th anniversary of one of our venues - The People’s Story. The establishment of this museum would not have been possible without the efforts of a dedicated team of volunteers and the legacy of their work continues today. We currently have over 70 volunteers engaged in the work of Museums and Galleries Edinburgh in a whole variety of roles ranging from visitor engagement and collections work to social media and gardening, and last year their efforts contributed to over 3,500 hours of service. Volunteering is vitally important to Museums and Galleries Edinburgh and we truly value the skills, knowledge and enthusiasm our volunteers bring to their roles. We were joined at the event by around 40 of our existing volunteers and also welcomed back some ex-staff members to help cut the People’s Story birthday cake and to celebrate this brilliant achievement.
Open Streets – Museums Programme
Open Streets in Edinburgh temporarily open streets to people by closing them to cars. Open Streets seeks to help to increase public exploration, use and awareness of the connected areas in the old town. We are delighted that our four Royal Mile venues are participating with a series of free lively events.
Museum of Edinburgh
Sunday 6 October
Buildings of Old Edinburgh
10.00am-12.30pm or 1.30pm-3.30pm
Rebels be Dammed!: The Town Guard at Museum of Edinburgh
10.00am-4.00pm (Drill and weapon demonstrations – 12.00noon and 2.00pm)
Sunday 3 November
Don’t Panic! The Edinburgh LDV are on patrol!
10.00am-4.00pm (Drill and weapon demonstrations – 12.00noon and 2.00pm)
The Writers’ Museum
Sunday 3 November
Enchanted Story Books
10.00am-12.30pm or 1.30pm-3.30pm
Sunday 1 December
Stories of Edinburgh
2.00pm-4.00pm
Museum of Childhood
Sunday 1 December
A Magical Christmas
10.00am-12.30pm or 1.30pm-3.30pm
People’s Story Museum
Sunday 6 October
A Portrait of Edinburgh
2.00pm-4.00pm
Sunday 3 November
Life in 18th Century Edinburgh
2.00pm-4.00pm
Usher Hall – Highlights and Forthcoming Events
Usher Hall highlights during July, August and September included:
Ocean Colour Scene - 27 July 2019
Edinburgh International Festival - 2-26 August 2019
Los Angeles Philharmonic - 1-3 August
Youth Orchestra Los Angeles with Big Noise - 4 August
Los Angeles Philarmonic - 2-4 August
West Side Story - 5-6 August
Amadou & Mariam + blind boys of Alabama - 7 August
Peer Gynt & Glorious Percussion - 8 August
National Youth Orchestra of the USA - 9 August
Royal Scottish National Orchestra -10 August
Marcel Khalife & Rami Khalife - 11 August
Angela Hewitt 1 - 12 August
BBC Symphony Orchestra - 13 August
Angela Hewitt 2 - 14 August
Orfeo ed Euridice -15 August
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra - 17 August
Scottish Chamber Orchestra - 17 August
Elgar’s The Kingdom - 18 August
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra - 19 August
London Symphony Orchestra - 21 August
Manon Lescuat - 22 August
Orchestra de Paris 1 - 23 August
Orchestra de Paris 2 - 24 August
Gotterdammerung - 25 August
Usher Hall – Highlights and Forthcoming Events
Forthcoming events:
The Flaming Lips - 5 September 2019
An Evening Pat Stanton – 75 years on - 7 September 2019
Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone In Concert - 13 September 2019
Ant Middleton – Mind Over Muscle - 21 September 2019
Britten-Shostakovich Festival Orchestra - 22 September 2019
Pixies – 23 September 2019
Hozier - 25 September 2019
SCO: Leleux conducts Brahms and Dvorak - 26 September 2019
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra: Mahler Symphony No. 5 - 29 September 2019
Bill Callahan - 1 October 2019
Keane - 2nd October 2019
RSNO Season Opener: Strauss & Mahler One - 4 October 2019
Diversity – Born Ready - 5 October 2019
SCO: Mozart’s Requiem -10 October 2019
RSNO Rachmaninov Piano concerto No3 - 11 October 2019
Daniel O’Donnell – Gold Hits Tour - 12 October 2019
Sunday Classics: Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra - 13 October 2019
RSNO Shostakovich Ten - 18 October 2019
License to thrill: The Music of Bond - 19 October 2019
Havana Moon - 23 October 2019
Usher Hall – Highlights and Forthcoming Events
Mike McGeary and Friends - 25 October 2019
Will Young - 26 October 2019
Children’s Classic Concerts: Weird Science - 27 October 2019
Sunday Classic: Flanders Symphony Orchestra - 27 October 2019
Marina – Love + Fear Tour Part 2 - 28 October 2019
Ludovico Einaudi - 29 October 2019
RSNO Saint Saens’ Organ Symphony - 1 November 2019
The Australian Pink Floyd - 2 November 2019
A Evening With The Tallest Man on Earth - 3 November 2019
Rival Sons - 6 November 2019
Vampire Weekend - 7 November 2019
RSNO The Lark Ascending - 8 November 2019
Wet Wet Wet - 9 November 2019
Sunday Classic: Prague Symphony Orchestra - 10 November 2019
The Forth Awards - 14 November 2019
Jack Savoretti - 15 November 2019
Karen Polwart - 16 November 2019
Emeli Sande - 17 November 2019
Calexico and Iron & Wine + Lisa O’Neill - 18 November 2019
Adam Ant - 19 November 2019
Usher Hall – Highlights and Forthcoming Events
SCO: Beethoven Symphonies Nos 1 and 3 ‘Eroica’ - 21 November 2019
RSNO Tchaikovsky’s Pathetique - 22 November 2019
Now That’s What I Call The 80’s Live - 23 November 2019
The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra in concert with Jazzmeia Horn - 24 November 2019
Steve Hackett – Genesis Revisited Tour 2019 - 25 November 2019
Sigrid - 26 November 2019
Worbey and Farrell - Masquerade - 28 November 2019
RSNO at the Movies: Danny Elfman Gala - 28 November 2019
For full details of these events please visit the website – here.
Church Hill Theatre – Highlights and Forthcoming Events
Church Hill Theatre highlights during July and August included:
Dunedin Dancers: Edinburgh Gala Theatre Performance - 18 July 2019
Edinburgh International Festival: 9 – 3-6 August 2019
Edinburgh International Festival: Roots – 9-25 August 2019
Church Hill Theatre – Highlights and Forthcoming Events
Forthcoming events:
Showcase 2019 supporting MacMillan Cancer Support - 17-21 September 2019
Join Showcase for their 2019 show featuring the usual showstoppers and chart toppers that have become their trademark. This year, expect some of the best musical theatre songs around, from current blockbuster films Bohemian Rhapsody and A Star is Born to Broadway show-stoppers such as Dear Evan Hansen and Kinky Boots, with a sprinkling of rock and pop from the likes of Neil Diamond, The Who and the Spice Girls. As ever, proceeds from all shows go to our annual donation to Macmillan Cancer Support, to assist with their extraordinary work, helping people who live with cancer.
Swede Dreamz – Abba tribute Band – 12 October 2019
From the opening beats of Waterloo to the final notes of Thank You For The Music, Swede Dreamz will take you on a journey through some of ABBA’s greatest and most memorable hits.
Ross Theatre Highlights
Highlights at the Ross Theatre during July and August included:
Edinburgh Summer Fiesta: Mod Life Crisis, Itchycoo Park, The Jam, Big Vern n Shootahs, Porkpie, Status No, Soul Nation, Paul Thorpe as Elvis and Flash Tribute to Queen - 5–7 July 2019
Summer Sessions: Florence and the Machine, Primal Scream, Chvrches, Lewis Capaldi, James, Courteeners, Madness - 7-18 August 2019
Edinburgh International Festival: Virgin Money Fireworks Concert with Scottish Chamber Orchestra - 26 August 2019
Assembly Rooms – Highlights and Forthcoming Events
Assembly Room highlighted during July and August included:
The Gin Lounge - 6 July 2019
Gary Meilke – The iBrow Guy - 13 July 2019
Assembly Festival – Edinburgh Fringe - 31 July – 26 August 2019
Forthcoming events:
Justin Hayward - 8 September 2019
The Wall Live Extravaganza - 21 September 2019
The Music of Cream 50th Anniversary World Tour - 5 October 2019
Assembly Rooms – Highlights and Forthcoming Events
Singalong Shenanigans - 6 October 2019
Kate Rusby - 11 October 2019
Scottish Listed Property Show - 26 October 2019
European Outdoor Film Tour 2019/2020 - 10 November 2019
Animal Families and Me with Gordon Buchanan - 22 November 2019
Jay Rayner: The Last Supper - 23 November 2019
For full details of these events please visit the website – here.
Forget Me Not Garden at Lauriston Castle
The Council has now granted a 20 year lease of Lauriston Castle’s lodge house and garden to the charity Edinburgh Forget-Me-Not Garden. The charity took possession in June and can now apply to funders for grants to create a memory garden. Once the garden is created, it will begin raising funds to convert the lodge house into a drop-in/resource centre for dementia sufferers and their carers. Earlier in the summer, the Council included the upgrading of the lodge house as one of its projects for consideration by the Scottish Government’s 2019 Regeneration Capital grants Fund. The outcome of the bids is still to be announced, but if it were successful, it would make a significant contribution to the project.
Celebrating Artistic Connections Between Scotland and Italy – City Art Centre
On 7 September 2019 a new exhibition The Italian Connection opens at the City Art Centre. This is the latest in a series of temporary displays to explore different aspects of the City’s Fine Art Collection. Creative links between Scotland and Italy have existed for hundreds of years. In the 18th and 19th centuries Scottish artists journeyed to Rome and Florence to advance their training and career prospects. Throughout the 20th century this pilgrimage to the Mediterranean continued, with art students undertaking travelling scholarships and mature artists finding inspiration in the landscape and culture. The flow of people and ideas has also developed in the opposite direction, with Italian immigrant families making their homes in Scotland and contributing to the artistic milieu here. The Italian Connection investigates the enduring bonds between these two countries, celebrating the ability of art to transcend geographical boundaries. Drawn from the City’s own Fine Art Collection, the exhibition features such important artists as Allan Ramsay, E.A. Walton, F.C.B. Cadell, Joan Eardley, Eduardo Paolozzi and Elizabeth Blackadder. It also covers a broad range of media, from oil painting and drawing to printmaking and sculpture. The Italian Connection runs until 24 May 2020. Admission is free. For more details see: https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/italian-connection On Friday 20 September at 2.00pm there will be a Curator’s tour of the exhibition – booking is essential.
Credit: Edward Arthur Walton, Farmyard near Florence, 1921. City Art Centre, Museums and Galleries Edinburgh.
City Art Centre Exhibition Set to Showcase Pioneering Edinburgh-born Painter
Credit: Mary Cameron, Mrs Blair and her Borzois, 1904. Private Collection. (Photo: Eion Johnston)
This winter the City Art Centre will be mounting a major exhibition on the pioneering female artist Mary Cameron (1865-1921). Born and raised in Edinburgh, Cameron was a woman ahead of her time. She began her artistic career as a portraitist and genre painter in her native city, before venturing abroad to study in Paris. Foreign travel proved to be an enduring source of inspiration. In 1900 she visited Madrid for the first time, and became captivated by the Spanish culture, people and scenery. Establishing studios in Madrid and Seville, she painted large-scale compositions of traditional peasant life, dramatic bullfights and rural landscapes. Cameron exhibited widely during her lifetime and was admired by her contemporaries. However, like so many female artists of her generation, her name is now little-known. The new exhibition Mary Cameron: Life in Paint aims to place this forgotten artist back in the spotlight. It will explore the fascinating story of Cameron’s life and career, charting her creative journey from elegant family portraits to breathtaking Spanish scenes. Over forty rarely-seen artworks from public and private collections will be displayed, complemented by historic photographs and archival material. The exhibition is accompanied by the forthcoming illustrated catalogue Mary Cameron: Life in Paint, written by Helen E. Scott and due to be published by Sansom and Co in November 2019. Mary Cameron: Life in Paint opens on 2 November 2019 and runs until 15 March 2020. Admission is free. For more details see: https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/mary-cameron-life-paint
Classical Edinburgh: 9 November 2019 – 8 March 2020
In November, the City Art Centre hosts a fascinating new exhibition connecting the work of architectural photographers Edwin Smith and Colin McLean whose images, created 50 years apart, celebrate Edinburgh’s world-famous architecture. Classical Edinburgh explores and examines the changes that have taken place in half a century of development which has seen the neo-classical New Town transform from an area of refined respectability to an integral part of a bustling cosmopolitan city. Using Edwin Smith’s black and white images published in ‘The Making of Classical Edinburgh’ (1966) as a starting point, Colin McLean embarked on re-shooting and re-interpreting these seminal images in 2017.
An accompanying photography competition will provide an exciting opportunity for budding photographers to exhibit alongside Smith and McLean in celebration of this UNESCO World Heritage city. The competition, supported by Jessops, is inviting budding photographers to capture their own images of the New Town, with winning entries being displayed as part of the exhibition – full details can be found here. Entries received so far can be viewed on the City Art Centre’s Facebook page.
Stepping Out Shoes Exhibition – Museum of Edinburgh
The exhibition showcases 12 pairs of shoes from the City’s important costume collection, most of which have never been on display before. They range in date from a pair of beautiful 1870s French slippers to men’s 1970s platforms. Tiny infant’s silk bootees appear next to brewers’ leather clogs, making for a diverse and captivating exhibition. The centrepiece of the show is a pair of 1960s evening dresses with accompanying shoes, handbags and gloves which were worn by a Mrs Davidson to go dancing at the North British Hotel (now the Balmoral). The idea behind the exhibition was to showcase stored collections through a show with wide appeal.
Please note that the area of the Museum which houses this exhibition is currently closed to the public – the date of re-opening will be advised on the Museums and Galleries Edinburgh website.
Autism Friendly Tour at the Museums Collections Centre
Staff at Museums and Galleries Edinburgh recently welcomed a group of young people with autism to the Museum Collections Centre. The tour was led by Collections Care Officer, Gwen Thomas, with help from volunteer tour guide, Cathy. The group heard more about the ceramic and glassware in the museum collections, as well as dolls houses, pantomime costumes and muskets. They also looked at some of the more recent acquisitions in the museum collection related to protest and activism in Edinburgh. The Museum Collections Centre is open for public tours on the first Tuesday each month. Booking is essential and further information can be found here: https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/venue/museum-collections-centre .
Collections Care Officer Gwen Thomas leading an autism-friendly tour at the Museum Collections Centre
Every Day is a New Day – A Book About Being a Young Mum
Some of the young mums with staff from the Citadel Youth Centre at the book launch which took place at the City Chambers
Museums and Galleries Edinburgh recently worked in partnership with Children in Scotland and the Citadel Youth Centre’s Young Mums group. The group of young women under 21 took part in two workshops. They discussed what it’s like to be a young mum and compared this to the experiences of mums in the past, looking at objects and photographs from the museum baby and early childhood reminiscence box. Writer Mike Nicholson turned their words into a story book which brings to life the varied experiences of young mums. Every Day is a New Day is designed to be passed on to the children of the mums whose voices are reflected in the narrative. It will be available for visitors to read in the Museum of Childhood’s Bringing Up Baby exhibition, and is also available online at: https://childreninscotland.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Every-Day-St4b-Final-layout1.pdf
Lauriston Castle Programme
For more than 400 years, enchanting Lauriston Castle has overlooked the River Forth at Silverknowes, near Cramond. Set among 30 acres of woodland and beautiful gardens, Lauriston Castle is a special place to visit. The Castle itself has a beautiful Edwardian interior, from which we take inspiration for many of our workshops. Downstairs are the servants’ quarters, including the maids’ hall and the atmospheric old kitchen, where a warm welcome awaits you during the winter months.
Booking
Pre-booking and advance payment are essential for all events. Methods of booking:
Online – visit the website at www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk
Telephone - telephone the City Art Centre on 0131 529 3993 (Monday to Sunday 10.00am – 5.00pm)
In person – visit the City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DE (Monday to Sunday 10.00am – 5.00pm)
For full details of all events please visit our website – here, or contact Margaret Findlay, Learning and Programmes Manager for further information (by email at [email protected] or by telephone on 0131 529 3963.
Sunday 15 September, 10.30am-12.30pm - A Lauriston Collage
Sunday 22 September, 10.30am-12.30pm or 1.30pm-3.30pm - Regal Knights
Sunday 6 October 10.30am-12.30pm or 1.30-3.30pm - Autumn’s Bounty
Sunday 20 October, 11.00am-12.30pm - Halloween Wand Making Workshop
Edinburgh Horror Festival At Lauriston Castle
We are thrilled to be working with Edinburgh Horror Festival at the Castle, a unique and popular festival celebrating all things gruesome! To book, www.edhorrorfest.co.uk.
Saturday 26 October and Sunday 27 October, 1.30pm or 2.45pm - The Lauriston Horror Tour
Saturday 26 October and Sunday 27 October, 4.00pm or 5:30pm - The Haunted Hunt: The Witch’s Cauldron
Saturday 26 October and Sunday 27 October, 7:00pm - The Twilight Séance
Nelson Monument Garden – Calton Hill
A unique partnership between the Council’s museums and gallery service, our Community Payback team, Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust, and the City’s African and Caribbean Christian Fellowship is nearing completion in the garden alongside the Nelson Monument on Calton Hill. For a long time the space had been neglected and was in a very sorry state until, a couple of years ago, the call was put out via the Greenspace Trust to any community groups who would be willing to help transform and maintain it. At the same time, initial meetings took place with the Community Payback team, and under their direction, the garden has since been completely re-landscaped. The Trust provided a small grant for the Fellowship to buy tools and plants, giving valuable advice on what would grow well on such an exposed site, and together with staff from the museums division, they have been busy weeding, pruning and generally making sure that it looks great. Once complete, the aim is to open the garden to visitors on a regular basis, providing a wonderful sensory haven as well as a place to admire the fantastic panorama of the city beyond.
As reported in the Bulletin to the 26 March 2019 Committee meeting, funding from a Private Trust was secured to run full day workshops for children from six Primary Schools from areas of multiple-deprivation in Edinburgh, linked to the Victoria Crowe exhibition currently taking place at the City Art Centre. The Museums and Galleries service have offered 33 artist led sessions to Pirniehall, Forthview, Niddrie Mill, Sighthill, Clovenstone and Craigroyston Primary Schools. A number of sessions have taken place and will continue into October. During the session pupils (from P4-P7) are given an opportunity to look at the key works of the exhibition and discuss with a professional artist what they think about the works, and then work in the art studio to produce their own works of art. Each school are also given two boxes of art materials to take away at the end of the session. The sessions are held on themes chosen by the teachers from Exploring Portraiture, Exploring Landscape and Exploring the seasons. Feedback has been sought on the sessions that have already taken place from both pupils and teachers. Teachers have indicated that almost all the children participating have never visited a gallery or museum before – this funding has allowed this to happen.
Some feedback from pupils and teachers:
“I want to come back.”
“It was amazing.”
“I am going to see if I can go on a family trip here to see more of the gallery. I loved how you could walk around the gallery and use them to inspire my work.”
Victoria Crowe Exhibition Schools Programme
“I enjoyed painting because it calmed me.”
“I found today wonderful because it was fun making landscapes.”
“I enjoyed looking at the flowers in the gallery that I then included in my work.”
“The paintings were very inspiring.”
“I liked how the paintings were connected, it was like a story.”
“The people showing us round the gallery were lovely and we had lots of resources to create anything we wanted.”
“I loved painting because it was really fun and it taught me to take my time. “
“Thank you so much for our fantastic experience. The children would never ordinarily be able to experience something like this with such plentiful resources.” Teacher Niddrie Mill Primary School
“The artist was knowledgeable and took her time to speak with all the pupils individually. Great for pupils to see real-life examples, sketch them and use them as inspiration in their own work.” Teacher Forthview Primary School.
“It was great to work with so many materials that the children are not familiar with. Looking at the artist’s work was great, the class were so engaged and inspired.” Teacher Pirniehall primary School.
“It’s been an amazing experience for the children. It’s been interesting to see how the children reacted to an environment they’ve never experienced before. They are so inspired and engaged, producing better work than I thought possible. It has been interesting to see their reaction to an expert and how much they are willing to push outside their comfort zone be brave and try new things. Thank you for making this opportunity possible and allowing the children the chance to experiment and be creative with such great resources.”
“What a great experience for my class – some of whom have never been to an art gallery so it was a super introduction. It was wonderful for me as a teacher to see the pupils engage with the paintings and artwork – discussing different features and using them for inspiration. The children had a brilliant time creating their own works of art, using different techniques, and learning from an expert! This was such a great opportunity and all pupils were engaged – which is rare! They will bring away with them not only their art work but great memories, and more of an open mind about art. Thank you.”
City Art Centre – Events associated with the Victoria Crowe Exhibition
For more information and to book please visit the website here, or contact the City Art Centre on 0131 529 3993.
Saturday 14 September 11.00am-1.00pm - Beyond likeness: Story-making Workshop
Poetry Events
Saturday 21 September, 2.00pm - Art and Poetry to delight the Senses
Lectures and Tours
Saturday 5 October, 2.00pm - A Certain Light: Poetry and Spirituality in the work of Victoria Crowe
Spotlight Gallery Tours
Join one of our excellent guides on a spotlight tour of our Victoria Crowe exhibition. There is no need to book for groups fewer than 10 people. Please meet at reception. A portable loop system is available to amplify the guide. The fm loop system is compatible with hearing aids with a T switch and can be used with headphones.
Fridays at 3.00pm
Saturdays at 3.00pm
Sundays at 3.00pm
City Art Centre – Events associated with the Victoria Crowe Exhibition
Family Sessions
Saturday 14 September, 10.30am- 2.30pm or 1.30pm-3.30pm - Fabric Fragments
Sunday 15 September, 1.30pm-3.30pm - Paper Mosaics
Saturday 5 October, 10.30am-12.30pm or 1.30pm-3.30pm - Trees, Treasures and Birds
Performance
Saturday 12 October at 2.00pm and 3.00pm - Through the Seasons - Fashion Show at the City Art Centre
Musuems Events as part of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival
Museum of Childhood and Scottish Storytelling Centre
Sunday 27 October, 2.00pm-4.00pm, Guisers Galore
Saturday 19 October, 1.30pm-4.30pm, Words on the Street
Booking is essential for these events – more information and booking details available at www.sisf.org.uk and on www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk.
Travelling Gallery
Travelling Gallery’s Spring 2019 exhibition, Displaced, closed in Oban as part of Refugee Festival Scotland. Displaced explored how artists are responding to global migration and the refugee crisis now. With ongoing international conflicts and the continued displacement of human beings, artists are asking audiences to question how we view, understand, and represent refugees and migrants.
Travelling Gallery toured Scotland, beginning in Edinburgh and reached as far as Kinlochbervie, Culloden, Lewis, Harris, Uist, Skye, Perth, Falkirk, Paisley, Kilmarnock, Cummnock, Easterhouse, Isle of Bute, Tarbert, Lochgilphead and Oban.
As always, we were humbled by our audience’s responses.
“Great! Thank you for coming to Fort William, thought-provoking, inspiring – and much needed!”
“Very emotive films. Great to have this on our doorstep. Thank you”
“Brilliant to have access to this in the Highlands. Some very timely work. Thanks.”
“What a clever concept – a gallery coming to us! We enjoyed exploring the artwork and discussing such a current topic. Links with talking / listening, current affairs – and no wrong answers which encouraged individual interpretation. Thank you from Mrs Bilsland and P7a (Our Lady of the Missions Primary)”
“Excellent. I got a lot out of this – even more with the help of your friendly and knowledgeable guide. Thank you.”
“Wonderful to have such a thought provoking and high quality contemporary exhibition arrive on our doorstep. Thanks.”
Travelling Gallery Autumn 2019
Travelling Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition by Edinburgh based artist and poet Alec Finlay. Artist and poet Alec Finlay is declaring a national Day of Access. Encouraging estates to open their gates and allow admission to their tracks for people who can no longer climb the hills, Day of Access is for everyone who experiences constraints on access while enhancing the experience of anyone who enjoys wild land.
Travelling Gallery supports the pilot Day of Access and documentation from that day will be exhibited in the bus alongside work by Finlay and his invited collaborators. Day of Access offers alternatives to ‘disability heroism’, where those with handicaps are expected to over-achieve; suggests connections between wounded nature, healing and rewilding; and uses disability perspectives to promote sustainable human relationships with ecology. The artworks engage disabled and able-bodied people by giving accounts of disabilities and how these influence relationships with the landscape both positively and negatively
Travelling Gallery
The exhibition will tour Scotland from August to December 2019 and has generously been supported by the William Grant Foundation. If you would like to get in touch please email [email protected] to book a place - 4 - 17 August – Edinburgh; 29, 30, 31 August – Clackmannanshire; 2 - 7 September – Stirling; 9 September – Falkirk; 10 Sept - West Lothian College; 13, 14 September - Portobello High Street; 17 - 21 September -Aberdeenshire; 27 - 28 September -East Lothian; 7 October - Kelso High School; 10 October - Moray College UHI; 12, 15, 17 October - Western Isles; 28 – 31 October - Argyll and Bute; 4 - 7 November – 9 November - Lochwinnoch Arts Festival.
Travelling Gallery are proud to be part of Scottish Contemporary Art Network (SCAN's) #artinaction campaign. Championing the valuable role visual art plays within communities across Scotland – and to call for stronger recognition of this value when it comes to decision-making. Over the summer recess MSPs were invited to see for themselves the positive impact of visual art in their constituencies. They were encouraged to share their experience via social media using #ArtInAction – and to make a public commitment to support artists and art in their communities. Travelling Gallery will be at Parliament to support Art in Action on the 1 October. To find out more, read our case study and learn how to get involved visit Art in Action blog.
PROCESSIONS Banners Chosen for British Textile Biennial
Following on from the exceptional PROCESSIONS event in June last year in Edinburgh and other cities across the UK celebrating 100 years of votes for women, event organisers have announced that 16 of the PROCESSIONS banners have been selected for the British Textile Biennial, which will take place in the historic Brierfield Mill from the 4 October - 3 November this year. One hundred women artists were commissioned to work with organisations and communities across the UK to create one hundred centenary banners for PROCESSIONS as part of an extensive public programme of creative workshops. City of Edinburgh Museums and Galleries delivered many of these workshops in Edinburgh, although none of the banners made at the workshops have been chosen for the Biennial.
The following banners featured in the Edinburgh Procession are included in the 16 chosen:
• Lindy Richardson working with University of Edinburgh and HMP Cornton Vale;
• Natalie Kerr working with women and girls in Aberdeen;
• Alicia Hendrik working with community groups in Mull and Iona, including women’s group SWR, Girlguiding Association and local schools;
• Paria Goodarzi and Helen de Main working with the Scottish Refugee Council in Glasgow.
The PROCESSIONS banners will form part of the Belief Belonging Broadcast, a mass presentation displaying messages of protest from heritage collections and campaigning groups across the UK.
You can look back on PROCESSIONS here, and please click here for further details about the exhibition this autumn.
The British Diving Championships took place in Edinburgh from 31 May to 2 June 2019. The event was last held here in 2017 and following on from the successful staging of the European Championships in 2018, the Royal Commonwealth Pool once again proved itself as one of the top diving venues in the UK. Five Edinburgh divers competed, with James Heatly taking two gold medals home from the three day competition and Lucas Thomson taking silver in the men’s 10m synchro. Edinburgh-born Grace Reid also won silver in the Women’s 3m Springboard and in the Women’s 3m Synchro along with her partner Katherine Torrance. James Heatly declared himself to be ‘over the moon’ with his two British titles. These results are testament to the depth of talent here in Edinburgh, and to the quality of the training and coaching provided at the Royal Commonwealth Pool. British Diving used the event towards qualification for their final selection of the GB team of 13 divers to compete at the World Championships in South Korea in July, which included both James Heatly and Grace Reid.
Women’s Tour of Scotland
The inaugural Women’s Tour of Scotland cycling event was held from 9 to 11 July 2019, with a start in Dundee on the Friday and a finish in Edinburgh on the Sunday. Unfortunately, the first stage of the Tour, from Dundee to Dunfermline, had to be abandoned due to the torrential rain which had flooded sections of the route. By the time it got to the Edinburgh stage, the rain had diminished and the race took place without incident, starting and finishing in Holyrood Park. However, the planned ‘event village’ in Holyrood Park was much reduced in size and the planned family events had to be cut back. There were still some very competitive junior races on the challenging course around Arthur’s Seat, which provided entertainment for the spectators while they waited for the elite race to return from its speedy trip to the Borders. Many top international women’s teams took part and Leah Thomas from Team Bigla was the overall winner of the event. Highlights were broadcast on ITV4 and BBC Scotland, and the event organisers hope to come back next year (weather permitting!)
Football 4s-Soccer 7s
Our Primary School Football 4s and Soccer 7s Programme has now concluded for 2018/19. This season we had 2000+ P4-7 pupils from 62 schools playing trophy-free football every single week, from Echline in the West to Brunstane in the East, and Dean Park in the South West to Granton in the North East. Thanks to the 238 leaders who gave up their time to take the teams and make this possible. Registration for the 2019/20 season has now closed, with 168 teams already signed up for September, with hopefully a further 40 x P3 teams to come in the New Year. Thanks to all schools, parents and pupils for making the programme such a success!
P4/5 Girls’ Football Festivals
The pilots for our brand new cluster Girls’ Festivals programme took place at Portobello HS and Forrester/St Augustine’s HS in May and June respectively. Across the two festivals we had an incredible 300+ girls playing small-sided matches, having fun and hopefully sparking a love for the game. We already have 10 clusters booked up for 2019/20 and can’t wait to kick off with the Craigroyston CHS cluster in October, coinciding with Women and Girls in Sport Week
School of Football Festival
The 2018/19 end-of-year School of Football festival took place at Easter Road in May with all boys and girls Schools of Football from across the South East Region meeting to participate in small-sided matches and fun football challenges. This Scottish FA programme is ‘Person First Player Second’ and aims to develop the social and academic skills of young people through the vehicle of football. If you wish to find out more, please contact [email protected].
Beach Games
For the first time, football were delighted to be a part of the Active Schools Beach Games event at Portobello Beach. 16 boys and girls teams from Gracemount, Craigroyston, Queensferry, Leith, Boroughmuir, Broughton, Drummond and Trinity High Schools participated in a 4v4 tournament on the sand! Thankfully both the sun and the tide stayed out which allowed everyone to play some very impressive football and have a thoroughly enjoyable time!
Forrester cluster introduced a new programme for 2018-19 to encourage pupils to be more Active and recognise their effort! The programme involves pupils completing a ‘Get Active’ card which explains the benefits of being active and encourages them to be more active on a regular basis throughout the year. The children and teachers complete the cards and hand them in to the school office each term. Our Sports Reps pupil groups in each school identify ‘Active Champions’ who receive a t shirt at our Get Active assembly. There are also trophies for Most Active Year Group and Most Active Teacher. The programme links to the Building Resilience programme that the schools are delivering and involves a whole school approach to encourage pupils to Get Active and Leading projects in their schools.
Girls Triathlon
Girls Triathlon was delivered to P6 and 7 girls from Broomhouse Primary School as part of the girls programme which involves P6 and 7 girls receiving an extra hour of sport and physical activity every week. 27 girls took part in the Triathlon block of cycling, swimming and running sessions ending with a Du-athlon. Triathlon Scotland, Pentland Triathletes and Hearts Swim Club as well as senior pupils from the club and Forrester HS volunteered to make the programme happen. A new Girls Triathlon club is being set up for the cluster following the success of this programme. This will be included as part of the Active Schools programme and will be delivered by Pentland Triathletes coaches in partnership with Triathlon Scotland.
Go Live Get Active Swim Project
Go Live Get Active is a programme at Forrester/St Augustine’s Community Sport Hub which is for pupils who are in SIMD 1-2 and need support to learn to swim. In partnership with Hearts Swim Club, we have provided 20 free places for pupils at Murrayburn and St Joseph’s Primary Schools. This project was set up due to the success of the initial programme where 16 Broomhouse pupils were given free places in the programme and the primary swim specialists commented that the programme made a huge difference to the standard of the school swimming. This programme is working together to make swimming accessible to those who would not be able to access lessons. Pupils taking part in the programme have progressed massively from being non-swimmers to now being Certificate 3 and 4 standard.
Holiday Multisports Camps
Broughton High School Community Sports Hub in partnership with Active Schools run holiday multisports camps for P1-7 children throughout the Easter and Summer Holidays. These camps encourage the children to learn new sports that are delivered by the priority clubs at the Hub. The children have received fun sessions ran by Inverleith Netball Club, Edinburgh Dance Academy, BATs Rugby Club, Lions Basketball Club, Edinburgh Tae Kwon Do, Blackhall Athletic and The Grange Sports Club. It is a great way for the clubs to promote their evening and weekend sessions to children within the local community.
Outdoor Learning
Staff at the Council’s Bangholm Outdoor Centre (Sport and Outdoor Learning Team) completed a successful first year pilot with Oxgangs Primary School; developing affordable expeditions into the Pentland Hills. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) delivered through The City of Edinburgh Council’s Operating Licence and coordinated via the Sport and Outdoor Learning Team reached a record level of participation with over 1500 new starters for 2018/19. A focus on supporting disadvantaged young people, resulted in a 28.8% increase of new starters compared with last year. This focus remains and will be developed. The value of our young people and leaders’ 2018/19 contributions to their communities is estimated by DofE Scotland to be 212,438 hours; valued at £1,958,042, (10% increase on the previous year). This has been achieved through effective partnership working between schools, community groups, Lifelong Learning Development Officers, Friends of the Award (FOTA) and DofE Scotland. This work was recently recognised by the Earl of Forfar and Lord Provost on a recent to The Risk Factory.
Saughton Park – Opening by Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal
Her Royal Highness (HRH), The Princess Royal has officially reopened Edinburgh’s historic Saughton Park.
Following an £8m seven-year renovation project to restore Saughton Park to its former glory, including fully refurbishing and reinstating many of the Park’s original Edwardian features as well as transforming the gardens into an inclusive space for the whole local community - the project was officially reopened on a beautiful sunny afternoon by HRH The Princess Royal. As Patron of project partner, the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society, HRH was invited to tour the restored park with Edinburgh’s Lord Lieutenant, Frank Ross, and to unveil a plaque to commemorate the occasion. Commenting on the Royal Opening, the Lord Lieutenant of Edinburgh, Frank Ross, said: “It is incredible to see Saughton Park’s restoration. The new walled gardens are blooming with thousands of flowers, the conservatories and community spaces are warm and inviting and the bandstand has been returned to its original beauty. It really is stunning.”
HRH met with staff and volunteers who collaborated on the restoration, including lead project staff from Parks, Greenspace and Cemeteries, local Councillors and members of the Caley and Friends of Saughton Park, gardeners from the Council. HRH was introduced to supporters from Capability Scotland, Cycling UK, Garvald Edinburgh and Health All Round, who have all been working together to make the whole park truly accessible, work for the local community and remain beautifully in bloom. She also met with community members of The Welcoming Association, which supports new citizens as they settle in Edinburgh, and received a stirring pipe band performance from school pupils at Tynecastle High School, who became the first musicians to perform at the park’s newly restored Bandstand. The Edinburgh Makar, Alan Spence, also recited a bespoke poem, ‘The Ballad of Saughton’.
Edinburgh Parks Events Manifesto
The Edinburgh Parks Events Manifesto is a strategic and proactive approach to the planning and managing of events within Edinburgh’s parks and greenspaces. This provides a framework through which a balanced and sustainable events programme can be achieved, whilst ensuring that the quality of the land is maintained to the highest standard possible. On 20 June 2019 the Transport and Environment Committee received an update report on the review of the Edinburgh Parks Events Manifesto. This review is being progressed in parallel with the review of the Public Spaces protocol with the final report due to be presented to Culture and Communities Committee on 28 January 2020.
Hunter’s Hall Park Update
Solid progress is being made with the development of the new 3G pitches at Hunter’s Hall Park. Works commenced on the 8 July and the new 7-aside 3G pitch foundation is almost fully formed with drainage, first layer of sub-base and kerbing all in place. The carpet, shock-pad and fencing from the existing 2G pitch has been removed and the foundations for the new goal recesses and fence posts have been progressed. Works on the bus-turning circle, access paths and over-flow car park have also begun. Some elements of the project are ahead of programme and some are behind. Overall, the programmed completion date is end of September 2019 and all efforts will be made to finish the project on time. Any queries or questions should be directed to Graham Croucher, Communities and Families Department, 0131 529 7994, [email protected]
Parks and Cemeteries Homeless Evictions
Committee will recall the Emergency Motion on Parks and Cemeteries Homeless Evictions and subsequent discussion at our meeting on 6 June 2019. A briefing note has been prepared for members to outline the issues and the next steps in ensuring appropriate arrangements and support are in place for people rough sleeping in our parks and cemeteries.
In addition, Councillor Kate Campbell, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convenor, meet with Chief Inspector David Robertson, Local Area Commander: South East Edinburgh - Police Scotland, on 6 August 2019 to discuss the safety and welfare of some of Edinburgh’s most vulnerable citizens who are rough sleeping. Concerns regarding the recent eviction of those rough sleeping from public spaces were addressed and they discussed ways that the Council and Police Scotland can work more closely to make sure that similar misguided action is not repeated
On 11 September 2018, Culture and Communities Committee received a report on the Forth Bridges Area Tourism Strategy. The strategy seeks to build on the Forth Bridge’s UNESCO World Heritage status and the Three Bridges as a unique national asset to establish the Firth of Forth as a key visitor destination. The strategy includes three strategic outcomes:
• Strategic Outcome 1: Creating a visitor destination;
• Strategic Outcome 2: Offering a warm welcome; and
• Strategic Outcome 3: Marketing the destination.
A delivery group is now being established and partners will shortly commence recruitment of a Project Manager to oversee and manage the delivery of the Strategy, engage with all stakeholders and lead the development of an action plan. Fife Council will host the Project Manager.
The Strategy was launched by Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs on 24 April 2019.
Councillor Wilson (Convener) Councillor McNeese-Mechan (Vice-Convener) Councillor Brown Councillor I Campbell Councillor Doggart Councillor Doran Councillor Howie Councillor Mitchell Councillor Osler Councillor Rae Councillor Staniforth
Lynne Halfpenny Director of Culture Telephone 0131 529 3657 Andy Gray Head of Schools and Lifelong Learning Communities and Families Telephone 0131 529 2217 Gareth Barwell Head of Place Management Telephone 0131 529 5844 Natalie Le Couteur Committee Services Telephone 0131 529 6160
